Amusement devices: toys – Construction toy – Includng fluid conduit
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-24
2002-01-22
Ricci, John A. (Department: 3712)
Amusement devices: toys
Construction toy
Includng fluid conduit
C040S406000, C040S412000, C446S128000, C446S168000, C446S176000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06340323
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a waterslide toy block construction system, and more particularly, to toy construction blocks with grooves which can be assembled to create continuous, extendable and generally horizontal and vertical paths for the travel of water thereon.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Toy construction blocks have been manufactured and successfully marketed for generations. They have been designed to connect to one another, to connect to tubes and rods, and even to connect to toy figurines of people, animals, vehicles, and other objects. Of particular popularity have been construction blocks with pegs and the accessories that combine with them, for example, the type sold under the trademark LEGO, the type sold under the trademark DUPLO, and the type sold under the trademark PLAYMOBIL.
Games and toys which employ water as a basic amusement factor have also been around for years. Among the popular devices are water guns, water slides, water sprinklers, and water-related hoop toys.
The following U.S. patents and other literature represent items related to the present invention and represent the state-of-the-art in this field:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,005,282 to Christiansen teaches a toy building brick which includes a plurality of pegs protruding from the top surface of each brick and a plurality of recesses along the undersurface of each brick sized and shaped so as to engage such pegs for clamping bricks together in a fashion determined by the user. Both the pegs and the recesses may have differently shaped cross-sections, and the brick itself has a friction post located at its midsection to facilitate the attachment of other such bricks.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,472 to Snead teaches a child's building toy which comprises elongated, tubular building units with connectors at each end. The units are hollow to facilitate travel of water therethrough, and some of the units have apertures which allow water to spray. The units have bends in them which allow the user to create various structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,780 to Volpe shows an adapter block which can be varied to interconnect with a peg block construction toy. The blocks define generally parallel sidewalls that define a plurality of open ends for the receiving of pegs on a peg block construction toy. The adapter block can also be manufactured to slope considerably from the horizontal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,437 to D'Andrade et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,819 to Johnson et al., both teach water devices that implement self-contained means of pressurizing water with compressed air, creating a pressure differential between the water and the ambient atmosphere.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,143 to Yule teaches a marble run game that involves toy construction blocks assembled to create extended paths for travel of at least one marble. The blocks have grooves defined thereon that facilitate rolling marbles, and said grooves can be aligned to create a multiplicity of paths to prolong the balls'run. The construction blocks may have more than one groove, and multiple grooves may intersect.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,336 to Blanchard teaches a water construction kit featuring a plurality of elongated tubular elements and mating connectors, which elements and connectors provide for the flow of water therethrough. The connectors may include shutoff valves to provide selective control of water flowing through the individual tubes.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 353,851 to Glynn is a design for a multi-orificed tubular toy construction block, featuring recesses in each of the block's four sides and an orifice through the block's midsection. The block's orifice and recesses facilitate connection of rods and tubes thereto.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a waterslide toy block construction system. The present invention includes a plurality of toy construction blocks, said construction blocks having a top surface, a bottom surface and at least three side surfaces. Some of the construction blocks have a plurality of elongated projections extending from said top surface. Each of said blocks also has an undersurface that defines recesses therein for frictionally engaging the elongated projections of other such blocks.
Other construction blocks have conduits for water flow (hereinafter “grooves”) which can be assembled to create continuous, extendable and generally horizontal and vertical paths for the travel of water thereon. Each of said blocks has a top surface and a side surface which define at least one groove for the routing of water. When a user correctly arranges the blocks to form a multi-block structure, these grooves form a path for the travel of water thereon, which path can be alternated to suit the user's preference.
There is a construction block unit having means for connecting a water outlet, such as a hose or a tank. The connection means incorporates an adapter to reduce water pressure and to prevent detachment of the water outlet due to hydrodynamic motion therethrough.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3005282 (1961-10-01), Christensen
patent: 3751827 (1973-08-01), Gaskin
patent: 3752472 (1973-08-01), Snead
patent: 4413436 (1983-11-01), Ward et al.
patent: 4744780 (1988-05-01), Volpe
patent: 4778430 (1988-10-01), Goldfarb et al.
patent: 5074437 (1991-12-01), D'Andrade et al.
patent: 5112263 (1992-05-01), Penillard et al.
patent: 5150819 (1992-09-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 5277585 (1994-01-01), Aminighazvini
patent: 5344143 (1994-09-01), Yule
patent: D353851 (1994-12-01), Glynn
patent: 5480336 (1996-01-01), Blanchard
patent: 5944575 (1999-08-01), Tolnay
patent: 5971764 (1999-10-01), Todd
patent: 6149991 (2000-11-01), Okuda
patent: 6176027 (2001-01-01), Blount
Glynn Kenneth P.
Ideal Ideas, Inc.
Meagher Deirdra M.
Ricci John A.
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